Born of Elements
Prologue An old tortoiseshell dragged herself over. She looked down the moonlit pool. "Are they ready?" The cat spun around, facing a tom. The first cat sighed. "I hope so." "What if not?" The two cats turned around and faced a very young white she-cat. Her blue eyes blazed in the moonlight. The cats were silent. "Be quiet Cloud. Let us think." "You are risking lives. Why? Because this weird cat told you to. Great." There was edge of sarcasm in her voice. "What do you know? You are barely older than them!" snorted the tortoiseshell. Cloud gave her a long glare. "Go ahead. Do it, then. But if they die, it's your fault. Think about it." With that, Cloud spun around and padded away. The other two cats exchanged glances. "Do you think she is right?" meowed the black tom. The tortoiseshell sighed. "It's a risk we have to take. Even if we fail, we are doomed anyways." The tom nodded. "So, are they ready?" The tortoiseshell nodded and padded deeper to the cave. Four lifeless young bodies were lying on patches of moss. Althrough the tortoiseshell knew that it was right thing to do, Cloud's voice echoed in her head. Maybe she ''will'' fail. Maybe she ''will'' loose. Maybe she ''will'' die. But at least she tried. The hardest she could. Fire Pain. Every hair on my pelt was giving away a hot, red, burning pain. Every breath caused me more burning agony. I tried to think what would happen if I open my eyes. My eyes flung open. In the moment I wished I haven't done it, but in few seconds, most of the fiery pain faded away, althrough my joints were stiff and aching. I tried to sit. My legs failed me, but then I find balance. I tried to look around, my neck stiff. On patch of moss next to me, was lying a cat. She was pale gray tabby, her lithe shape almost fading with the cave floor. I came closer. Gasp! Her neck was bruised, as if something held it in a big amount of time. I pressed my muzzle to her flank. She was breathing. It was shallow, but it was there. I tried to nudge her. I was sure that I've never seen her before, but she seemed hauntingly familiar. I nudgedger again. No reaction. I looked around. Two more cats. A brown tabby and a blue-gray cat, both she-cats. I was the only tom here. But who was ''I''? I came closer to the brown tabby. Her body was covered with red scratches. Whoever she was, she must've had a fight. Was she dead? I sniffed the air. No scent of death, but considering how long they could've been lying in this cave, the scent could've been washed away. The tabby looked dead, but she was indeed alive. I came to the third cat. Her pelt was wet and soaking. Did she drown? Who am I? Who are the cats around? Why are we here? Why do they look so familiar? Those were the question's I couldn't find answers to. Pawsteps sounded in one of the tunnel. I froze, waiting for what was going to happen. Earth The pain in my body grew and grew. It was burning and red, but I couldn't open my swollen eyes. Pawsteps. Step. Step. Step. I tried to move a paw. Suddenly, my body shook with spasm. I screeched, only to suffer more spasms. The pawsteps rushed to me. I felt as something pushing me down by my flank. "Stop screeching and throwing yourself around, Leaf!" hissed a voice to my ear. I tried to stop, althrough my body was against it. The pain started to fade, and faded completely. Something soft pressed to my wounds and held it. I've never felt anything softer before. "Now, open your eyes." I pushed my eyelits up. Light painfully hit my eyes. I closed the again immedietely. A raspy sighed sounded next to my ear. "Alright. Stand up." I tried to push myself up. I sensed a pelt pressing to my side. With its help, I weakly stood up. "Good. Walk." Althrough my legs were weak, stiff and trembling, I managed to walk about a fox-lenght. The stone under my paws was getting slippery. "And now, duck." I rectulantly did as I was told to. Surprise flooded to my chest. Water! "Duck!" I pushed my head down. The water spiralled around my face. The feeling of my fur getting wet was akward, but it was fresh and cool. I let the coldness sooth my eyes. Something pulled me out by my scruff. "Do you want to drown or what?!" hissed the voice. I flung my eyes open. I had no idea where the source of light was, but I was in a cave. The first thing I noticed was old tortoiseshell standing next to me. Her ice-blue eyes gleamed. "Finally," she muttered. I looked around while taking a few steps. There was a black tom prodding a pale gray tabby with his big paw. Another, young white she-cat, about my age, was nudging a blue-gray cat to wake up. Between them stood a flame-colored tom. His orangd eyes sparkled with confusion. What is going on? The tom had his body covered with black, hot patches. Injuries from fire. Whatever happened here, it must've been big. The old tortoiseshell looked at me. "Welcome back, Leaf." Water